I was up all last night but not because I wanted to be. Circumstances demanded that sleep was not to be had so it only seemed natural to wander to the pier early in the morn. That is where I find solace in things out of my control. That is where I find the peace that settles deep within the soul. That is where my cares leave with the darkness as the sun brightens the eastern sky. That is my little piece of paradise. This morning, all of that inner peace was needing replenishing and the Bayou did not fail me. The bit of sunrise therapy worked wonders on the emotions and allowed me to face the day undaunted.
It has often been said that there is one place and one time that belongs to each person. Obviously, I am a very old soul that roams the inner parts of the Bayou. It draws me as does any other swamp. I belong there. The mystical, magical air of the Bayou is all it takes. Tonight, I shall rest easy knowing all is well and I have done my best.
With all of the yard work happening on the Bayou as of late, my eye has been catching all sorts of things that need redoing. While the wicker chairs still are in good shape, the wood and iron benches were looking a mite shabby. Well, actually, worse than shabby. They were more on the dangerous side! The wood slats had seen better days and needed to be replaced before anyone took a notion to plop down on them. Had anyone decided to take a seat, they probably would have wound up sitting among a heap of broken boards! The benches were just that bad! Thank goodness, Son has been on a "fix-it" spree lately. The seats were ripped apart, sanded, painted and then new slats were afixed on the first one. The slats will be replaced on the other two as soon as the weather clears again. Come sit for a spell!
That phrase seems to be used a bit more down here in the Deep South than other places about the country. Perhaps it is in reference to our laid back attitude about life. There is no need to be in such a tizzy to get everything done immediately. Sit down, grab a glass of sweet tea or coffee (your choice) and take a load off your feet. Sometimes when looking at the news (especially as of late), it seems as if that is what is wrong with folks. Everyone seems to be riled up over one thing or another or are "offended" by something that was said but no one ever wants to sit down and have a neighborly chat to right things. Back in the day, the front porch was the site of many of conferences where the troubles of the world were discussed, taken apart and put back together again in a reasonable order. Down South, the front porch is our version of a "fireside" chat. We sit on porches or out under the shade of an old oak and make amends instead of letting things ferment until they bubble out of control.
Now that my benches are repaired and are in "sitting" condition, it only seems proper to send out that neighborly invitation of "Come on over and sit a spell. Have a glass of sweet tea and lets talk." Life is good here on the Bayou. It is too bad the rest of the country cannot be the same.
The saying "Life is like a bowl of cherries" is sort of misleading. Life is not like a bowl of cherries in the least. Cherries are good...always. Unless they are rotten...then they are bad...always. But Life is not that clear cut. We are setting ourselves up for a major disappointment if we have it in our heads that everything is always hunky-dory. (Hunky-dory being a phrase that Mom used to say when things were nigh on perfect or use in jest when things were just the opposite. As a kid, I could never differentiate between the two uses of the same term.) In real life, there are days when those cherries are good and bad at the same time and it is up to us to choose which fruit to eat. Pick out the fresh fruit and all is fine...pick the rotten and we wallow in despair.
Today, things were more than just a bowl of cherries even though they were involved. Late afternoon found me exhausted and things going a bit down the wrong path. It was just one of those days where it seemed that Murphy's Law was the rule for the day. I could not find things, four of my jars of jelly did not seal and chairs would not fit through the doorway...just to mention a few of the frustrating things occurring during the day. About three in the afternoon, I just quit. I was tired after a sleepless night and did not need this aggravation. I plopped down in my rocking chair to sit and contemplate just why I was having such a day when I heard a familiar call. Ahh, my sweet sister-in-law was in the yard. I yelled through the open windows for her to come on inside. (Just a Southern thing there...."Come on in and sit a spell! The door is open!) Down in the Deep South, yoo-hooing is a common greeting and "sittin' a spell" is done with either a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea depending on the weather.
Cynthia made her way inside and handed me a grocery bag. Inside were the most beautiful cherries! "These are for you! You always share everything with anybody that visits, so I brought you something this time." Aww, my heart forgot all of the fine things that Old Murphy was conjuring all day. Those cherries brought a smile to my lips and a bit of joy in my heart and even though it was a stifling 90 degrees outside, we had coffee.
Sometimes life does hand us days that are not to our liking. It is times like that when we have to make the best of things and not sweat the small stuff. We pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and carry on. Then things can change in a heartbeat such as when someone kind offers a bit of pleasant company. Throw in a bag of fresh cherries and nothing that Old Murphy can throw at you is worth the worry. Eat the fresh, delicious fruit and do not wallow in rotten thoughts. Life is good.
